In the End: Forsaken
by Blue Dragon Git
Summary: Two mutants, with only eachother make a run to a supposed safe haven for others like them, what they find is neither safe nor welcoming. Can the X-men save them from a cruel fate? And will a hiding evil, rise to power once more to claim the earth.
1. Chapter 1

Title: In the End: Forsaken ~  
  
Summary: Two mutants, with only eachother make a run to a supposed safe haven for others like them, what they find is neither safe nor welcoming. Can the X-men save them from a cruel fate? And will a hiding evil, rise to power once more to claim the earth. ~  
  
Disclaimer: Yup! It's end of the world time once more in the land of the X- men, and as always I don't own any of them. I only call claim to my little oc's.  
  
Chapter One: Ship Shape  
  
" Do you think-----do you think they'll like us?" Her bright eyes gazed up, tiny flicks of blue drowning in deep green. Small angelic face, seeped with worry. She turned her head, gazing over the old water worn crates towards the ship. Docking had been going on for about and hour, baggage handlers rushed back and forth, securing, shouting, numbering. Passengers filed in a long precession along the dock and up towards the massive ocean freighter.  
  
" How should I know." He snapped quickly, dark eyes darting towards her as his legs started to grow numb from crouching for so long. The sun was setting and the ship would be completely docked and boarded in a little less then an hour, the perfect time for an "unseen" problem. This plan, brewing for weeks had looked solid in his mind then, but quickly, upon seeing the heap of security guards standing by the docking ramps entrance made him reconsider.  
  
" I thought you said they were nice people." The girl continued on, scooting over a bit to be closer to him, this place was dark and unfriendly, as if the places in England she had lived in before were much different. Her hand grazed his softly, causing her companion to jerk suddenly and glare at her, drawing his hand away from hers.  
  
" You think too much." He whispered coarsely, trying to keep his concentration. Getting on this boat would be one thing, staying on it would be another. But if he had to stay in this city one day longer, he'd would go mad, and anything would be better then staying her with the kid, pestering him constantly, giving him puppy eyes when she thought he wasn't looking. Besides, where they were heading would be better and safer for them both, at least maybe there he could find a good home for her, some place where she could grow up proper, not with him.  
  
" Sorry." She mumbled, pulling away, wrapping her thin coat around her tighter. She'd never been on a ship before, let along stowed away on one. But they hadn't the money for tickets, she sure knew that, they had barely enough cash to get them some food for the walk here, the rest would be snatched from the ship.  
  
" So is----is America nice?" She asked softly after a long pause, glaring down at the tip of her nose finding it far too short, she scrunched it up as she looked to him.  
  
" Have I ever been there? Hush up you're gonna give us away." He growled gently nudging her with his elbow, letting out a long drawn out breath, watching it catch cloud slightly in the chilly eve. It was slipping towards then end of September and the weather in jolly old England was keeping up a nice dreary rain spell, always keeping the air bothersome and cold.  
  
" Sorry." The girl grumbled again wincing slightly at having annoyed her companion, even if she was far younger then him, he could have at least treated her with a bit more respect. She was 12 after all, going on 13 in a few months, and that was teens, that was huge, but not as big as this whole trip to the States though. Her thoughts were broken as the lad leaned in looking down at her.  
  
" And quit apologizin, now, you remember what I told ya right?" He spoke just above a whisper, his deep voice nearly lost with the crowd of boarding passengers that had begun to complain most verbally about the hold up. Granted this ship was just a small carrier ship, goods, people, nothing like a cruse ship or anything, that would have been far too hard to get onto.  
  
" Cart, ship, cabin." She spoke up with a smile, giving him a nod with each step of the plan she relayed back, proud of herself that she remembered it all.  
  
" Right, don't you go screwing up, or we'll both be in the water." He frowned, pulling her coat over her chest and button up the few remaining buttons that hadn't fallen off over time. He looked her over, so thin and feeble, what was he thinking taking her with him all this way. He should have left the kid where he found her, but it was too late for it now, and though he hated to admit, grown rather attached to her company, though have the time he did want to throw himself into traffic, or better yet her.  
  
" I'm scared." She said suddenly looking up as her eyes narrowed and her brows knitted together. He in turn, shook his head, glancing over the crates and spotting one of the last baggage carts to be rolled up the long wooden plank-way. The traffic of passengers had been cleared and now only a few remained at the ticket check near the door of the ship. He watched as these people were let in, the ticket worker slipping in behind them and being replaced by two very large security guards. Perfect.  
  
" You ready---" He whispered, looking as if he was ready to leap over the crates himself. But it would be her move first, then his. If it wasn't to happen now, it never would.  
  
" No." She whined softly, balling her hands and sucking in her breath. She didn't want to leave his side, here she was safe, out there, it was just her, little her and the rest of the big old crazy world.  
  
" Good enough, alright-----wait for it-----Go!" The boy hissed keeping his eyes glued to the cart as a docking man started his way over towards it, still talking to another dock worker, the man's head was turned as he walked slowly, yelling goodbye to his buddy.  
  
"Now?" She gasped feeling the need to cry, fear slipping down her throat as she gulped it back, it hit her stomach like a brick.  
  
" Go damn it!" He snarled, shoving her out from behind the crates.  
  
Instinct seemed to take over as she hurried along, keeping her back bent in a right angle as the girl scurried along the wooden dock. Keeping low the girl crept next to the cart, feeling the shaking of the wood below her as the dock worker came near and the cart jerked and began to move. She stayed with it, blending in with the baggage nearly unseen as they both, her and the cart made their way up the ramp and onto the ship.  
  
The lad watched on, a little private smile curling the corners of his mouth as he stood quickly, clearing his throat he ran forward catching one of the dock workers that had a suspicious look on his face. As if the worker had seen something slip behind the last baggage cart moving up the ramp.  
  
" Excuse me sir, have you ah, seem me little sister." The lad caught him by the arm, spinning him round to turn the works back to the ramp.  
  
" What? No boy, what she look like?" The worker spoke slowly seeing the boy was in a state of distress.  
  
" Short, ah choppy dark hair, looks like, Oh! there she is! Little brat. Hold on I'll fetch her." Called the boy waving his hands at no one, trying to rush passed the worker.  
  
" Wait, the ship'll be leavin soon, you can't go on there, I'll call security." The worker stepped in front of him blocking his way.  
  
" NO, no I mean, she'll run from a bunch of big strangers." He panicked slightly, trying to keep his cool. "And it might take hours for you to find her, come on sir it'll take me, five minutes, not even. Let me go find her." The boy pleaded, trying to keep the worker from calling anyone.  
  
" You got five minutes." The worker replied with a shake of his head, moving out of the lad's way.  
  
" Thanks sir!" He smiled, running across the docks, the lad clamored up the wooden plank-way making quick time before he was stopped by one of the ships security guards. The dock worker called up from below, telling the guards that the boy was getting his sister. One guard scowled, looking down at the young man, not moving.  
  
" There she is!" he cried excitedly pushing past the guards who in turn went to make a grab for him when suddenly a passenger ran from somewhere on the upper deck complaining that his car wasn't secured down enough. Making such a huge commotion that the boy easily slipped away into the ship's doorway.  
  
He had told her not to stay in the upper levels, go down deeper, as far as she could. The freightliner had only three levels, upper deck, passenger and dining, and then engine and worker quarters. He worked his way down, trying to keep with groups of people, passengers and crew alike to keep from the watchful eye of any security men, so far it was all going smoothly----  
  
Being with all these strange people made her uneasy. She had managed to slip away from the baggage cart as it had entered an elevator headed down to the storage rooms and ran down the halls to be lost in the maze of passenger cabins. One long hallway that ran nearly the length of the fret ship was lined with smaller hallways branching off, here passengers moving large shipments cross the world could rest, and she could finally find a bed to sleep in. Rounding the corner she made her way down a abandon hallway, keeping close to the wall she eased her way down to a walk, ever watchful behind her and in front.  
  
She neared the end of the hall, it sounded to her like the place was empty, counting her blessing for picking a hallway that was unoccupied by anyone. When suddenly a large hand gripped tightly around her shoulder and she froze, turning around slowly to look all the way up to the face of a most irritated looking security guard.  
  
" Aye, now there you are little miss, your brother's been lookin for you, now come with me please." The guard spoke calmly, trying to force a smile.  
  
She stared up at him, eyes widening, remembering her signal she suddenly began to scream, high-pitched and earsplitting, echoing down the halls.  
  
It wasn't long before a small soft noise trickled passed his ears, it grew louder as he moved deeper into the ships innards, moving down into the passenger area. He had just left the cafeteria hall when the sound caught his attention. " Damn it all." The lad hissed quietly, looking down the main hall as he moved on passed a few passengers, glancing down hall after hall wondering if the sound was coming from his companion or some other little twerp.  
  
As he went along, the passengers grew less and the cries grew louder, he pushed passed some folks that were remarking to hearing a child throwing a temper-tantrum somewhere, and how their parents must want to throw the kid overboard. He nearly laughed as he shot passed, taking off to a jog, he had wondered why he hadn't done the same thing long ago-----  
  
" Now, now little miss, it's alright----there's no need to be scared." The guard spoke grouchily as he took hold of the girl's arm, pulling her back towards the main hall. Her screams grew louder and more hysterical as she suddenly kicked him hard right in the shin, taking off down the hall wailing her head off. The guard cursed, casing after her as he easily caught up and took her by the hood of her worn coat, wrenching her back and pulling her upwards into the air.  
  
" Let----me----gooooooooo!" The girl cried kicking violently as she was twisted around by the guard, his large arms wrapping around her pinning her own arms down as she struggled to get free. She managed to turn them around, putting the guard's back to the entrance to the main hall as she hissed and caterwauled like a angry cat. The guard in the meantime trying to move himself down the hall with a squirming young lady.  
  
" Quiet now you little----" He was cut off by a sudden tap on his shoulder, the guard turned round, the girl moving with him as she stopped her crying and smiled up.  
" You?" the guard glared angrily, recognizing the lad he had stopped at the ship's door.  
  
" Nick!" she exclaimed happily, letting her emotions get the better of her, she kicked back on the guard's knees and suddenly disappeared, literally. Slipping into thin clear air it seemed.  
  
The security guard looked down in wonder, his astonishment was shared only by him. He could feel the girl's body still in his arms yet, it looked as if he was making some sort of circle with his arms. " What the hell?!" The guard went wide eye as he glanced up to the lad, letting his hands free and dropped to his sides, not having a chance to say anything else as a swift fist punched him right in the nose, sending the guard sailing back onto the floor, knocked out cold.  
  
" YAY!" Came an echoing shrill voice sounding muffled at times, like it was slipping in and out. The lad felt someone take hold of him round the waist, squeezing him tightly.  
  
" Lay off!" Nick exclaimed, tearing away at arms he couldn't see. Thoroughly pissed off at her being so chipper considering she had nearly got them busted.  
  
" You saved me Nick!" The girl cried happily her voice becoming more solid as she finally reappeared right in front of him.  
  
" You could have gotten us both caught with that yelpin of yours!" Nick whipped his head round to glare down at her, long nostrils flaring, as his lips thinned into an enormous frown, thrusting his arms over his chest, crossing them.  
  
" Well how else was I gonna get you to me huh? Send you a telegram eh?" She replied with a cunning smile, knowing he was just trying to be superior. She looked down then to the guard's heaped body. " What are we gonna do with him?" The girl pointed down a short finger, chipping purple polish on her nail.  
  
" I shouldn't have to do anythin with him, Runt." Nick growled, stepping over the guard's body as he lifted him up by the arms and glanced over to a cabin door. " Open that, and knock first!" He spat.  
  
" Ok." She replied sweetly, walking over to the cabin door and wrapping loud on it with her fist, she leaned her ear against the door. " I don't hear nothin."  
  
" Good, open it then." Nick ordered softly, grunting as he dragged the guard's heavy body into the room, pulling it as far as he could before the sat him down and left the room swiftly, closing the door behind him.  
  
" I'm starvin." The girl looked up with a big grin.  
  
Nick shook his head, and held out his long hand, which she took quickly as they walked down the hall and onto the main hallway. " I thought I saw a small eats table set up in the dinnin hall, I want you to slip in, slip out, got it, and no hysterics."  
  
" Sure thing!" She smiled up at him, feeling her heart skip a beat, for once he was being nice to her, this she liked, though she did like him more then ever when he was kind to her, which wasn't often at all.  
  
The two kept quiet, moving round passengers in the small main hall. Many watched the odd pair behind their backs. Nick couldn't help but smile once more, wondering what they were all thinking, knowing that they'd probably skin him and the kid alive if they knew mutants were stowing away with their precious junk.  
  
TBC...ah please review, for the runt's sake. ;) 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Chicken Legs and Closets.  
  
She crept forward sweeping out of people's way as they walked passed. Silent, invisible, but not ethereal, so hitting someone was not a chance she could take. Slipping across the rather large dining hall was relatively easy for the room was spacious, tables well spread out from eachother, only a main kitchen buffet line had more people gathered around it then compared to any standing or sitting in the eating area.  
  
Nick watched, well watched nothing really on from a far corner, choosing a table along side the wall and towards the back, here he slumped down in his chair, pulling his hood up over his head and trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. As of current time they had yet to be found, nor were there any mention or announcements on the ship, he hadn't seen a security guard in sometime and that troubled him. Either their friend knocked cold in the cabin room had yet to be found, or he was awake, giving the physical details of what he seen or hadn't seen for that matter. Either way the ship was no longer safe, and the sooner they could slip into some dark quiet space the better. But Nick was starving, the growl in his lean stomach said so. This endeavor for sustenance, though risky, was the best thing he could think of. He just wished he could see where the kid was at the moment. That was, until, Nick spied pieces of food "falling" off the table randomly and soon disappearing.  
  
Food was easy, she snickered softly as she slipped chicken leg after chicken leg into her sweater pocket, caring little if she was getting all messy. The simple smell of food made her want to jump on the table, invisible or not and devour everything she could get her little hands on. Moving along she kept in between a very large man carrying on about the corn-beef being too cold and some old wrinkley woman smoking a cigarette, hair piled up ten feet on her head as she spooned globs of macaroni salad on her paper plate.  
'ooooo macaroni salad' the girl's mind cooed as she eyed the old lady's plate, if only she'd put it down to use both hands, she could nab it right quick. Invisible eyes watched her move carefully, waiting for the moment to strike.  
' Now Sophie, calm down, it's not important and you have enough.' The young girl grumbled to herself as the old hag above glared down thinking she heard something. Sophie heard the lady spit something about mice near the food and quickly put down her plate to point at the cook on hand and pull the half burned cigarette from her mouth.  
  
'Bingo!' Sophie took her chance, nabbing the plate and slipped in close to her, cupping the salad in her hands she closed her palm and ran away, darting from table to table until she finally reached Nick.  
  
All he saw was white gooey macaroni suddenly spill on to the tabletop. Followed by legs, two bread rolls, and a big green apple. Placed with tenderly with love of course.  
  
Nick winced in disgust not waiting for Sophie to reappear before reprimanding her. " You know you could have taken some damn plates too." He snapped, reaching out for a chicken leg, the sudden smell made his hungry stomach lurch with desire, but now was not the time.  
  
" I can't make em disappear." Replied Sophie's echoing voice becoming solid in the end as she finally appeared. " Besides, you should be thankful, those chicken legs where really hot in my pocket, and I nearly burned my fingers, see?!" As she held out her hand, fingers pale yet glistening with grease and mayo.  
  
Nick clicked his tongue and spoke of it no more, wrapping all the food up into a few napkins and placing it in his dusty old knapsack. " Come on you, we need to find a place to lay low until we dock in the States."  
Glancing round, making sure the scene was clear he slipped the sack on his shoulder and motioned for Sophie to follow him.  
  
Night came quickly, the boat was quiet and so was the area the two managed to secure for the evening. It was on the third floor near the engine room, a small supply closet that looked like it hadn't been used in years. So amongst the old mops, smelly cleaners, and spiders they rested. Sophie settling in early after filling herself stuffed with chicken, she now laid sprawled out, head resting on a roll of two-ply as she snored gently.  
  
Nick sat up, keeping watch as he liked to admit but truthfully he couldn't sleep that night, or any night in the longest of time. The dark circles under his eyes told enough of it. He had been so worried as of late, there seemed no time for sleep, he had always kept a lookout while the kid would rest and plan night after night their plan of escape.  
He remembered the very night in fact that he plotted this scheme of stowing away on the boat-----  
  
For three weeks they had been running from what the thieves liked to call "The Noose". A devilish like man, dark, bleak, nearly emotionless save for anger. And three weeks earlier the Noose had been their employer, well at least Nick's. Life till then had been difficult, every morning the lad expected to die, and every night he prayed that he would. The Noose, or Mr. Ladzly as he was also known kept an assortment of different folks to do his bidding, some human, and even a few mutants, Nick being one of them.  
  
It was on a certain special "mission" that Nick had literally run into the little scab that now clung to his side night and day. She was the daughter of a man Nick was ment to find and give a little message to. It wasn't much, just a threat that the Noose wanted payment and the guy's bill was up. Nick simply had to take something of value and that was all, just a little scare to get the guy moving. What he found that day, the picture still burned within his brain.  
  
The door to the apartment was wide open, Nick didn't even bother to knock as he walked softly inside, looking around for said man. The small flat was deadly quiet except for a small plunk, plunk, plunk of water far of in the background. The boy happened to follow it into the bathroom to find the man he was sent to see, laying in the bathtub, arms and legs hanging out of blood-water, a small noted was on the ground. He hesitated to pick it up for there were still fresh red stained fingerprints on it. The note read:  
  
Paid in full Frank  
Keep the change...  
  
~ Harvey  
  
Nick dropped the note then, recognizing the signature, the name. It was one of Ladzly's more obnoxious revivals, beating his boss to the punch so to speak. There was a sudden slam out side the bathroom, as the front door closed and Nick heard a girl calling that she was home. He quickly shut off the lights in the bathroom and went outside wiping the blood off his hands and on his pants, trying to figure whether to run or what.  
  
And when he crept into the living room, crouched behind the couch he saw her, Sophie, throwing her backpack on the ground as she sang into the kitchen, calling out to no one that she had a very good day at school and there was this boy she liked that talked to her. As she stuffed her mouth with a handful of grapes she yelled out again, calling for him. Nick's heart fell. He couldn't let her see that, what was left of her father in the bathroom, it just wasn't right, even if he was there to threaten the guy after all, it wasn't fair. He stood then as the girl jumped nearly across the room, dropping grapes onto the floor as she cried out----  
  
Nick shivered, closing his eyes as he rubbed out the memory with his fingers, pressing in till his eyeballs began to hurt. He sighed looking at Sophie who had rolled over and curled up in a little ball, hugging herself in tight.  
He realized then how cold and damp it was in the closet room and grumbled, pulling of his coat he crawled over to her and covered her with it. With her small frame it served as quite a nice blanket. Sophie mumbled something incoherent and smiled, pulling the coat up around her.  
  
He sat back, feeling the chill start to seep trough his skin, hugging himself he closed his eyes. ' You gotta sleep man, you're no good to anyone as a zombie.' Nick tried to relax, driving his worried thoughts from his mind, though they some how seemed to creep back a few seconds later. Nick did in fact wonder what they would be like, the people they were going to see in America. It was an establishment of sorts, a safe house for mutants hidden somewhere in Maine, a place he had over heard two mutants calling "The Guiding Hand". He'd never heard of the place before but the two lads he heard it from said something about it being weird and full of stories. He hoped then that some of them where true, and all this was not in vain. That he hadn't risked his own life and Sophie's on some lie.  
  
Nick leaned back hugging himself harder as he suddenly shivered. He'd take his coat back if he wasn't feeling so damn sorry for the runt. Smiling to himself he chuckled gently, sifting to the side as a mop careened over and smacked into some old piled up buckets, making one hell of a racket and causing Nick to nearly jump out of his skin. His head whipped round, looking down to Sophie who simply moaned softly and kicked her leg slightly.  
The lad relaxed, cursing out the mop and standing up, stretching out his back as he took a few steps towards the door, the sudden gravity giving him shrill uncomfortable notice that he had to pee. As Nick neared the door, about to open it when he heard the sound of soft whispers near by, and the echo of footsteps coming down the hall, towards the closet.  
  
TBC..... 


End file.
